Legend of Self Esteem, Baye McNeil
Introducing the legend of black self-esteem, Baye McNeil.
‘When you have healthy self esteem and you see everyone as your equal, you approach the world differently’
I have to be honest that I was a bit nervous - a little starstruck interviewing Baye. I had been waiting for Baye for a year - I really wanted to do the video interview with him because he is such a star but a year on and with the pandemic still in play I just bit the bullet because Baye sounds good in May - catchy.
You can kinda tell that I was a bit in awe when we start AND I keep saying his name wrong. I AM SO SORRY BAYE. In my head is was Baye like May - IT IS NOT, it is Ba-Ye like Kanye. Please adjust your mind voice to Baye’s Senegalese name. And once again to Baye - thank you for correcting me over and over as I revelled in being in your presence. I am shouting at the screen as I am watching myself make this mistake repeatedly.
Baye is a high-profile writer; columnist in Japan Times’ Black Eye, author of TWO best-selling books “Hi My Name is Loco and I am a Racist” and “Loco in Yokohama”. I can’t even tell you how many other things Baye has done - listen in and visit his website, linked below.
Baye is charming, funny, serious, and fascinating - he opened my world up in the first 5 minutes of this interview. It is my opinion that Baye will go down in history as a great influencer and activist in Japan who changed the course of Japanese history, not only for people of African and Japanese-African descent but so many more people. He opens up minds to what is going on and encourages the good questions. His writing is brilliant and straightforward; generous and rich. He is a presence.
I loved every minute of Baye talking to me - we debated language use and he told me his preferred terms for bad practice when we discussed his part in the rectification of the Naomi Osaka Nissin whitewashing debacle.
There are layers and layers of depth and discussion in this interview and I implore you to listen to every last second as Baye keeps delivering more and more wisdom, information, history and humour. He really is terrific company!
BY THE WAY - we talk of two McMillans - Terri McMillan - Tokyo based creative and technology legend and Terry McMillan - US based legendary author.
Baye’s upbringing in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn; home of Biggy Smalls and Lena Horne and the influence of his amazing mother - and activist from the Malcolm X school of thought (Baye - tells us the difference between this and the Martin Luther King school of thought)
How going to a school that focussed on African artists, studies, history forged his future and his self-esteem
When he moved from the African school in Brooklyn to public school and the expectations of him changed
The importance of mentors is once again emphasised as Baye names a number of the people who mentored him.
History of the end of slavery and the question of humanity vs morality vs shame
He explains certain aspects of the constitution
Undervalued and overachieving at school
Intentional global naivety around slavery, names, and the narratives that were pushed through the popular culture and imported the world over
He started blogging to present new questions to people
The impact that 9/11 had not only on his career but also on his community in Brooklyn and the patriotism that was stoked
Love and loss and the grief of losing a girlfriend
What makes me say the choir, the pastor, and the bloody Pope!
Also what makes me say ‘SHIT THE BED’
Baye talks about his professional relationship with Miss Universe Japan, Arianna and the delicate balance between advising people to ‘get out there’ and the collateral
From Blackface to Whitewashing - find out how Baye keeps balance and how he carefully navigates influencing corporations to change
Why 2020-2021 has been fantastic for Baye in many ways
Baye’s wise wise words to close - don’t let things tamper with your happiness and surround yourself with joy - he says it so so much better and with some extras
www.bayemcneil.com
Twitter @bayemcneil
Instagram @bayemcneil
If you liked this interview you might enjoy:
Terri McMacmillan - also Brooklyn background and Tokyo Legend
https://www.sarahfuruya.com/blog/the-legend-of-humans-terri-macmillan
Liza Chantelle - who talks at length about Jamaica and England
https://www.sarahfuruya.com/blog/legend-of-liza-chantelle-aono
Nina Cataldo - who we mention during the interview
https://www.sarahfuruya.com/blog/legend-of-nina-cataldo-podcast
Black Lives Matter Tokyo:
https://blacklivesmattertokyo.carrd.co/